29: Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson

THEATER OF OPERATIONS: Wahlberg is the rare Hollywood star who doubles as an impresario, balancing leading roles in admirable films with behind-the-scenes deal-making for a slew of TV shows at HBO. Together, he and “Lev” have a knack for finding promising material in obscure places: Boardwalk Empire began as a book by a New Jersey Superior Court judge, while In Treatment was an Israeli TV series.

HOLLYWOOD RELATIONS: Wahlberg pushed tirelessly for The Fighter—while training as a boxer at dawn for four years—and had to overcome the inevitable resistance to his choice of director, David O. Russell, who hadn’t had a hit since 1999’s Three Kings.

SIDE BUSINESS: Levinson is launching a new music label with producer Rick Rubin.

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: Levinson nixed the original idea that Entourage would be a reality show, opting instead for fiction.

Thanks to Levinson, Entourage’s original incarnation as a reality show was quickly nipped in the bud.